SourceTree is a Mac client for Git and Mercurial DVCSs, which also works with Subversion servers. DVCSs keep track of software revisions to allow developers that may be working in different locations to work collectively.

Following Atlassian's acquisition of the SourceTree, the company has made the client available for free for a limited time to attract new users. Support for the client will move to Atlassian, as well as SourceTree founder Steve Streeting, who will continue development on the client from Atlassian's offices.

"With its tremendous resources and strong track record of software craftsmanship, Atlassian was the perfect place for SourceTree to set down new roots," he said. "I'm looking forward to rolling up my sleeves and taking SourceTree to new heights."

"SourceTree has won over the hearts and minds of its customer base by building a brilliantly engineered app," said CEO and co-founder of Atlassian Mike Cannon-Brookes. "SourceTree provides serious relief to the headache of managing multiple repositories, letting you manage and interface with multiple Git and Hg repositories visually through a client instead of the command line."

The purchase of SourceTree follows Atlassian's acquisition of Bitbucket, a code-hosting service, last year. It is currently being used to support the Mercurial DVCS, and this week the company announced support for Git.

SourceTree said that although the client has built-in support for GitHub and Kiln, other code repository hosts, Altassian would not be removing this functionality, even though it would clash with its interests in promoting Git and Mercurial on Bitbucket.

In order to encourage the uptake of users on Bitbucket, Cannon-Brookes also announced yesterday that the company would offer unlimited private and Git repositories for teams of five developers at no charge.